Giving a hoot about Canadian music

Premiere: Kirk Starkey – “New Sudbury”

The city of Sudbury, Ontario never gets a lot of recognition, but that could change with the upcoming album from Kirk Starkey, Songs of Sudbury, out on July 22. His father worked in the mines there and Starkey lived there until he was four. It wasn’t until 2012 that he revisited the city for the first time, and it inspired the album, which uses the cello as a “chosen tool of expresion.” He explains the themes of the album:

In my record you will find the tracing of fragments that barely exist, and the search for meaning when it’s not clear there is any to be found. It is a personal memoir of my early childhood, a reflection on the loss of my brother, and the reclaiming of a lost chapter.

The Hamilton-based composer is a frequent contributor to television scores, and the first single from the album, “New Sudbury,” is appropriately cinematic.

Just like Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld conveys intense emotion with her playing, so too does Starkey on “New Sudbury.” After some ominous notes open it up, there’s a sense of renewal as a percussive tap makes its way in. Maybe that New Sudbury isn’t too far off? Hear the whole thing below.